The planned third learning, teaching and training event took place in Sofia from 19 to 21 June. Tulip Foundation organised and hosted the event with participants from Ireland, Germany, Austria and Bulgaria. The presentations and discussions during the three working days were directly related to the theme of the meeting - practical solutions for the protection of the rights of older people through intergenerational support.
Maria Petkova from Tulip Foundation opened the meeting and spoke about the importance of practical solutions and inter-generational networks in the nowadays shared world. Colleagues from the partner organisations Sage Advocacy from Ireland, BAGSO from Germany and Pro Senectute from Austria presented the activities and some practices of their organisations for defence of older people’s rights. National and international documents and procedures concerning the rights of older people were presented. Elena Cherneva, Deputy Ombudsman presented some issues and challenges from the experience of the Ombudsman of the Republic of Bulgaria. Tanya Montanari from the Department of Social Rights, DGI Human Rights and Rule of Law at the Council of Europe explained the How to use the European Social Charter to ensure the protection of older persons’ rights. Sabine SPRINGER, Project manager Equality, Roma and Social Rights Unit at the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights presented the functions and some recent researches of the agency based on a rights-based approach to ageing.
Galina Goncharova from Sofia University St. Kliment Ohridski spoke about the anxieties of ageing in South East Europe and researches on age in Bulgaria. Gergana Nenova presented a research on the poverty of women pensioners – dimensions, reasons and consequences. Dilyana Gyurova presented the European care certificate. Maria Petkova informed the audience about the Solidarity between Generations Campaign. Ludmila Tsvetanova from Centre Maria Association in Gorna Oriahovitsa shared observations and opportunities for overcoming violence against older people in the small settlements. Anelia Spasova showed with images the initiative of Narodno Chitalishe Saznanie – 1927 in Dolni Vadin village Borrowed village. The presentations of Kristina Hristova from the Media Literacy Coalition about trainings on Media literacy for older people in regional cities; Elena Triffonova from Compassion Alzheimer Bulgaria Foundation on the expertise of people living with dementia and non-pharmacological interventions like art therapy, music therapy and theatre; and Todor Petev from New Bulgarian University about the cultural heritage as a place for connections between generations, provoked genuine interest. After the presentation of Krasimira Dimitrova from Future for Children Association in Kazanlak about the home assistant support for older people, the participants visited a “Silver Fall” Day Centre for older people run by Charity Assocation Donka Paprikova.
The agenda and the presentations of the training event are available.
The partners had a working meeting to evaluate the implementation and discuss the planned guidebook and good practices.
The event was organised in the frame of the project “Safeguarding older persons’ legal and human rights through active citizenship and inter-generational approach”. The project is co-funded by Erasmus+ Programme of the EC.
